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Cricket: England 'underdogs at World Cup as Australia start as favourites'

Mark Lawford
Kate Cross was hit on the finger by a 'blind cricket' ball sent down by team mate Tash Farrant
Kate Cross was hit on the finger by a ‘blind cricket’ ball sent down by team mate Tash Farrant

England duo Tash Farrant and Kate Cross insist being hosts for next month’s World Cup is not a great advantage as Australia start as firm favourites.

Speaking at the launch of NatWest’s “Cricket has no boundaries” campaign,Lancashire all rounder Cross, 25, said: “We are hoping for really big crowds. Australia are the holders so we know it will be tough.”

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Kent all-rounder Farrant said: “We are very the underdogs as Australia are favourites but not matter what eleven we put out, it will be England proud.”

The pair told Yahoo Sport that the England team was well prepared for the tournament after spending some time training in Abu Dhabi, with 20-year-old Farrant adding: “We are in a really good place.”

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Cross said: “We’re really happy wth our squad. We have been training really hard.”

Incredible

They both tried their hand at blind cricket as part of the ECB’s “Chance to Shine” initiative, with Cross admitting she found the whole experience incredible.

She said: “The boys put in a lot of practise and make it look easy. I found it really difficult. Fazz was bowling at me and I could not get near it.”

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Farrant said: “Blind cricket was much trickier than I thought it would be. But we all play cricket because we love it and it was great involved in something so different.”

Tash Farrant and Kate Cross were speaking during the launch of NatWest’s ‘Cricket has no boundaries’ campaign which celebrates the sport’s inclusivity. NatWest is the new Principal Partner of England Cricket having supported the game since 1981. Find out more at natwest.com/cricket #NoBoundaries

Tash Farrant found blind cricket very hard to master
Tash Farrant found blind cricket very hard to master